Attachment for bit-braces.



No. 890,801. PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908.

J. A. SCHMIDT.

ATTACHMENT FOB BIT BRAGES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 190'].

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908.

2 SHEETSSHEET. z.

J. A. SCHMIDT. ATTACHMENT FOB. BIT BRACES.

APPLICATION TILED NOV.-8, 1907.

JOHN A. SCHMIDT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

ATTACHMENT FOR BIT-BRACES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1908.

Application filed November 8, 1907. Serial No. 401,295.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. SCHMIDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Bit- Braces, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to attachments for bitbraces, adapted when applied to any ordinary bit-brace, for use in boring or drilling in corners, or other places where the crank of the brace cannot be rotated when in line with the axis of the bit.

The primary object of my invention is the production of an attachment for bit-braces of the type referred to, which can be applied to any ordinary bit-brace so that it can be manufactured separately and purchased in the open market; the attachmentthereof to any ordinary brace providing an angle-brace for boring in places inaccessible to an ordinary brace.

This invention is designed to provide a simple, inexpensive, and reliable attachment for this purpose, its construction being such that it can be quickly and conveniently attached to or detached from the brace.

I/Vith these objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, which consist of two sheets and form an inseparable part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ordinary bit-brace having my attachment applied thereto to form an angular bit-brace Fig. 2 is a detail plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the universal connection between the ordinary bit-brace and the chuck of the attachment and of the housing supporting said connection. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the attachment. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 44, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken on line 55, Fig. 4; a part of the head of the bit-brace being shown in elevation. Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of the clamp at one end of the attachment.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, corresponding letters of reference refer to corresponding parts in the several figures.

The letter A designates an ordinary bitbrace comprising a chuck or bit-socket B which is secured to one end of a crank C provided in the usual manner with a handle D, and attached to its other end is a head E in which it rotates. In the articular bitbrace 'herein shown which 1s an ordinary ratchet-brace, the crank is composed of a bent rod F having at that end adjacent the bit-socket a casting or enlargement G in which ratchet-mechanism II is secured, so that the socket may be rotated by rotating the crank as in an ordinary non-ratchet brace or by oscillating movement of said crank, depending on whether the ratchetmechanism is set for ratchet-movement or held fixed and against movement.

The bit-brace above described and illustrated in the drawings is one of the many styles now in common use, and I have shown it merely to illustrate the manner of using my invention.

The letter I designates the attachment which comprises a chuck or bit-socket J in which a bit or drill is to be held, a housing K having an open portion 7c and in which a shank L is journaled; said shank having socket J secured to or formed on its outer end and carrying a universal-joint M at its inner end. The universal joint is of common construction and'is located within the open portion of the housing K so that it is accessible for oiling and it has a square tapering shank m projecting through the open portion of the head.

A supporting-member in the form of an angular-bar is secured at one end to said housing; it being bent to form a straight portion a coincident with the axis of socket J, an intermediate portion a at a right-angle to portion n and provided with a handle 0 for conveniently grasping said bar, and an upper end portion n at a right-angle to the axis of the crank C of the bit-brace. This particular form of supporting-bar is not essential to the operation of a device embodying my invention, although it.is desirable, since it offers the least resistance to the working of the moving parts and will receive the strain to which the tool is necessarily subjected when in operation without tendency to buckle or transmit the strain to any of the moving parts.

The bit-brace A may be supported in the upper end of the supporting-bar in any desired manner, so long as provision is made to allow the necessary movement of the crank. I have, however, devised a construction which is simple, and which will positively hold the bit-brace in a secure manner and permit of ready attachment and detachment. Such construction comprises a clamp P formed onor secured to the upper end of the supporting-bar and having a fixed member p and a pivoted member p. Said fixed member comprises a threaded portion R preferably cylindrical for a short distance as at r, and semi-cylindrical, as at 1", and a semi-circular portion S provided with apertured lugs s. The pivoted member 19 comprises a semi-circular portion T having an apertured lug held between the lugs of por tion S and a threaded semi-cylindrical portion The two members of the clamp are held together by a pivot-pin U passed throughlugs's and t, and when the pivotedmember 7) is closed upon the fixed-member,

the threaded semi-cylindrical portions 1" and t form a complete cylindrical threaded shank and the two semi-circular portions S and T form a complete sleeve adapted to embrace the shank V of the head E on the bit-brace.

I/V designates a clamping-nut which is adapted to be threaded onto the two-part shank of the clamp to hold the latter in closed position.

When applying the attachment to a brace, the tapering shank m projecting from the open housing K is fastened in the chuck or socket of the bit-brace A and the clamp P secured to the head of said brace. Now, upon placing a bit or drill in the socket of the attachment, the device is ready for use. The tool is held steady by grasping the handle 0, and the bit or drill is rotated by turning or oscillating the crank of the bit-brace, motion being transmitted from said crank to the bit or drillthrough the universal joint M and the shank L secured to the socket or chuck of the attachment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is,-

1. The combination with a bit-brace, of a supporting-member secured to the head of said bit-brace and having a bit-socket rotatably connected with the bit-socket of said bitbrace.

2. The combination with a bit-brace, and a supporting-bar having one end detachably secured to said bit-brace and its other end provided with a bit-socket and a shank to which said socket is secured, said shank having connection with the bit-socket of said bit-brace. 1

3. The combination with a bit-brace, of a supporting-bar having one end detachably secured to said bitbrace and its other end provided with a housing, a shank revoluble in said housing, a bit-socket on said shank, a universal joint rotatable with said shank, and connection between said universal joint and the bit-socket of the bit-brace.

4. The combination with a bit-brace, of a supporting-bar having one end detachably secured to said bit-brace and its other end provided with a housing having an open portion, a shank revoluble in said housing, a bitsocket on said shank, a universal-joint in the open portion of said housing and supported by said shank, and a tapered shank on said universal-joint projecting from said housing and adapted to be secured in the bit-socket of the bit-brace.

5. The combination with a bit-brace, of an angular supporting-bar having a clamp at one end adapted to clamp around the head of said bit-brace and a bit-socket rotatably held to its other end, and means of connection between said bit-socket and the bit-socket of the bit-brace. I 6. The combination with a bit-brace, of an angular supporting-bar having a clamp at one end adapted to clamp around the head of the bit-brace and comprising two clampingmembers, one of which is rigid on said bar and the other pivotally connected to said rigid member, each of said members having a semicylindrical threaded portion, a nut adapted to be threaded onto said semi-cylindrical portions when brought together, a bitsocket at the opposite end of said supporting-bar, and operative connection between said bit-socket and the bit-socket of the bitbrace.

7. An attachment for bit-braces comprising an angular bar having means of attachment to a bit-brace at one end, a housing at its other end, a rotatable shank in said housing, a tapering shank for connection with the bit-socket of a bit-brace, a universal joint between said shanks, and a bit-socket secured to the first-mentioned shank.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN A. SCHMIDT.

l/Vitnesses: I

ELLA O. PLUEOKHAHN, EMIL NEUHART. 

